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Yes, we Indians eat with our hands. Our food is spicy. We have the World’s biggest family with 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren. And an Indian Maharaja once bought six Rolls Royce from its London showroom and then used them for garbage collection in India. Why? Legend goes that the showroom attendant had mistaken the Raja for a poor man and shown him the door.
A list of facts about India and its way of life could take years to read. So here are my top 8 Fun Facts about India, and they don’t include snake-charmers.
8 Fun Facts About India
Snakes and Ladders board game was invented in India with the intention of teaching morality lessons. This ancient Indian board game is popular with kids worldwide and represents life’s virtues and vices as ladders and snakes. Interestingly, my twins and I play a Snakes and Ladders board game version where snakes have been replaced by slides.
India is huge, and no I am not talking about the population. Wikipedia states that “According to Census of India of 2001, India has 122 major languages and 1599 other languages.” Almost every household in India is multilingual. I learned four languages from my elders: English, Hindi, Punjabi and Nepalese.
Have you heard of a Floating Post Office? In August 2011, India got it first floating post office in Dal Lake, Srinagar. Trust me, I would trade places with the post office head anytime. With beautiful Himalayas in the backdrop and a breathtaking Tulip Garden, you’d want to post love letters from here.
Living Bridges with tree roots in Meghalaya, India – Ironically, the living bridges created by the local people are a dying art. Almost 180 years ago, the village elders brought together rubber tree roots and Areca nut palms to grow a strong and sturdy bridge. It took 18 to 20 years for it to grow and connect two river banks. These bridges became a lifeline for people across Meghalaya.
Shakuntla Devi, The Human Calculator, calculated two 13 digit numbers 7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779 within 28 seconds. Interestingly, she was also a celebrated author of children’s books such as Puzzles to Puzzle You, Awaken the Math Genius in Your Child, and more.
The Golden Temple, Amritsar feeds a vegetarian meal to over 100,000 people a day. The first Guru of Sikh people started this tradition years ago. Interestingly, they require 1000 cylinders to make a meal in the Langar there.
The highest cricket ground in the world, Chail Cricket Ground in Chail, Himachal Pradesh, resides at an altitude of 2,444 meters. This is not the only claim to fame for this beautiful town. Yours truly was born here, too. On a serious note, this is a popular hill station, surrounded by Deodars and experiences heavy snowfall. Even today, the Chail Cricket Ground has never hosted a single big game or even a test-match.
Auroville, The City of Dawn, was founded by Mirra Alfaza as an experimental township. According to Alfaza, “Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics, and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.” I have never been here, but everyone who has visited has become a fan for life. This is where people head to in these times of global mistrust and religious fanaticism.
India truly is as big and colorful as its cinema. We call our mothers: moms, ma, mums, mata ji, bebe, Aayee, Biji, and more. There is a different dish for every occasion, even for death anniversaries. We consider the color red super auspicious while white represents death. And yes, Indian Cobra is a real thing, but the days of snake-charmers have fast faded behind our technical achievements. India is a beautiful country. When you decide to visit, the country will overwhelm you with the love and attention. In India we say “Phir Milenge” (till we meet again) and not goodbye.
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May 1
Miss Panda Chinese on Multicultural Kid Blogs: 10 Fun Facts About Taiwan for Kids
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Chinese American Family: Visiting Locke and Connecting with California’s Rural Chinese History
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The Art Curator for Kids: Chinese Bronze Vessels with Abstract Zoomorphic Designs
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Crafty Moms Share: Our Japanese Tea Party
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Bicultural Mama: The Limitations of DNA Testing for Asian Americans
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All Done Monkey
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All Done Monkey
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Latest posts by Charu Chhitwal (see all)
- 8 Fun Facts About India Including a Floating Post Office - May 22, 2017
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These are great tips. I have long wanted to visit India, feeling inspired after this post. I am ready to try out Snakes and Ladders!
I am glad you liked it Lisa. Indian is a beautiful country.
What a great post. I learned so much about India from this.
Thank you Kathleen. I hope you visit it one day to experience it.
Wow I did not know these about my own country
So didn’t I till I started researching for this article : )